COMP’s ’11 5.0 Cams Dynoed on Brenspeed Mustang, Also Now Shipping

Upgrading the cams in your modular motor got a little more complicated when Ford introduced variable camshaft timing, and then a little more yet with the latest Twin Independent Variable Camshaft Timing (Ti-VCT) on the DOHC 5.0-liter engine.

There is little doubt of the benefit from the technology, as the newer engines using it show better power, reduced fuel consumption and improved driveability all at once. However, trying to figure out exactly what is happening inside the engine leads us to paraphrase physicist Niels Bohr and comment… “Anyone who does not have a headache after encountering Ti-VCT clearly has not understood a thing about it.”

Regardless, we can accept that most new technologies have their period where the learning curve is steep and sometimes its easier to stick to the old ways. When it comes to VCT, the consequence of getting it wrong could be a number of bent valves and dinged pistons. We’re not playing in the sandbox anymore. This is serious stuff.

But so is the quest for more power. In point of fact, if you are running a dedicated 1320 racer that consistently operates within a narrow RPM range, you’re likely better off just to lock the cam phasers out. If you need a little more flexibility, then Comp Cams’ approach will suit you better. Instead of eliminating the cam phasing, they limit the range through which it can operate to maintain a safety buffer.

A good portion of the benefit remains, in terms of making power through a broad rpm band. That means both street friendly performance and strip dominating power. Three levels of camshaft performance are available for either naturally aspirated or boosted engines. For example, part number 191100 is the midrange cam set for naturally aspirated engines.

Once installed, you’ll see improvement throughout the 1700 to 7000 rpm range, but the big gains come in above 4900 RPM. You can alsop check out the selection of cams and their specs on the Comp Cams web site.

You can also check out a dyno run for the new cams, courtesy of Brenspeed, in the video at the top. They managed to squeeze some big power numbers out of one of their naturally aspirated 2011 GTs.